'Monsters University' is more sweet than scary - review

The original "Monsters, Inc." was a monster hit. Twelve years later, Mike and Sulley are back in "Monsters University." But this time, they're a lot younger because this film is Pixar's first prequel.

It turns out Michael "Mike" Wazowski and James P. "Sulley" Sullivan met as college roommates at Monsters University, where both plan to make a career out of scaring. Helen Mirren is superb as the school's frightening dean.

There are plenty of monsters to "eye" at this university, and seeing all that creative creature color helps the movie look even better on screen.

The story here involves a group of monster misfits trying to win an annual competition at the college. The heart of it goes back to Mike, voiced with loving passion and zeal by Billy Crystal. And John Goodman fell right back into Sulley.

Several other stars lend their talented vocal skills to this adventure, including Sean Hayes and Nathan Fillion of "Castle."

The film tells a very compelling story involving friendship, determination, teamwork and loyalty. I found myself almost forgetting that the characters are monsters because the story feels so universal. And maybe that's the point. So expect a little heart tugging along the way.

And as sweet as the film is, there's an occasional attempt to be scary. That fails, but the film passes with animation honors.

"Monsters University" passes with high honors. It's cute and maybe mildly scary for small children and it's entertaining for grownups, too, without feeling like a kid flick.